Gas-generator.



'PATENTED Non 2z, 1904.

llll H H. WEIGLE. GAS'GENERATGR. APELIOATIONHLEQAPR.11. 190s.

No. '7V-5,641.

N MODEL.

IlNrrnnV STATES,"

Patented November 22. 1904.

PATENT @Erica HENRI 4WEIGrLE, OF TSS, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM OF SCHWEIZERISCHE LOCOMOTIV- TERTHAR, SWITZERLAND.

UND MASCHINENFABRIK, OF WIN- GAS-GEN ERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. r775,641, dated November 22, 1904.

Application led April 11, 1903K.

To all wiz/0ml t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRI WEIGL, engineer, a citizen of the'Repu-blic of Switzerland,

residing at Tss, Switzerland, have inventedA for generating gas for use in motors or eng 'ber Gr to an interchanging valve U, which gines, in which apparatus the heat of the h'otgases generated is utilized for the preliminary warming of the air, for the vaporizing of the water, and for the 'superheating of the resultant mixture containing air and steam.

Inmost gas-producers hitherto known in the production of a gas rich in hydrogen an excess of steam was generated, while in the apparatus hereinafter described only so much water is vaporized as is necessary for the production of a gas of constant constitution and possessing the highest possible caloric value. This object is attained by introducing the Water in such small quantities into a steamgenerator, which is under the heating action of the outcoming hot gases, that the whole of the water introduced is at once completely vaporized. The Water-supplying apparatus also is so connected with the gas-'supply leading to the motor or engine that the quantity of water introduced and vaporized is entirely dependent upon the quantity of gas which is used up, and thus'it is impossible for an excess of steam to be generated.

In the accompanying drawing a section of one form of construction of the apparatus is shown by way of example.

G is afurnace having walls of {ire-resisting material and into which the fuel is charged through a hopper F with a double or trapped opening device of any suitablekind. At the bottom of the furnace is a grate R, while at the top of the same is a steam-generator V, which consists of a hollow annular casing. This latter is arranged in a cylindrical prolongation ofthe furnace, which is in connection with the chamber of the furnace proper. The interior of the generator V is connected, on the one hand, through a conduit 2 with a Serial No. 152,230. (No model.)

preliminary'air-heater L, to which atmospheric air is admitted by an opening 1, and, on the other hand, through a conduit 3 with a chamber 5 beneath the grate R. Between the conduit 3 and the chamber 5 is a valve 4, by which the communication between the furnace-chamber and the steam-generator V may be cut off at the required times.

A conduit 6 leads out of the furnace-cham- Inay be operated by a counterweighted lever 7. According to the position of the lever 7 the conduit 6 is connected with the chimney 8 or with the conduit 9. The conduit 9 wholly or partially surrounds the conduit 3, which serves for conveying the steam and air to the under side of the grate, and thereby prevents the latter from cooling down. The conduit 9 communicates by a pipe lO with the bottom 11 of a scrubber S. This latter is iilled With coke standing upon a grid 12, While at the top of the scrubber is arranged a waterspreader 13. A pipe 14 leads out of the scrubber to the gas-engine or to a similar apparatus in which the outgoing gases are utilized.

From the scrubber or...from any suitable place in the gas-pipe 14 a tube 15 leads out to the water-supply apparatus W. This consists of a closed vessel which is divided into two parts either by a diaphragm or a piston, with which latter a valve 19 is connected. This latter is adapted to cut ofi' the water-supply from the chamber 18 of the apparatus W to the pipe 21 by closing the upper' end of the opening leading into thesaid pipe. The chamber 18 serves as a small water-reservoir, in which a constant Water-level is maintained by a supply-pipe 20 and an overow-pipe 22. The pipe 21 leads out from this reservoir to the preliminary heater for air, L, or directly into the steam-generator V. A ventilator 23 is also provided for introducing air through a pipe 24 to the chamber 5 beneaththe grate R.

The action of this apparatus is as follows: The furnace is first operated after the manner of a slow-combustion heater while air is introduced through the ventilator, the valve 4 being' closed and the interchanging-valve U placed in such'a position that the gas from the furnace-space G passes direct to the chimney 8, the conduit 6 being shut off from the conduit 9. The' hot gases circulate around the generator V, whereby they are caused to give up a part of their heat to this latter and also to the preliminary air -heater L. As soon as the carbon in the furnace G is burning properly the valve U is operated so that a connection is established between the furnace G and the engine, or rather the cylinder thereof, through the conduit 6 and conduits 9 and 10, the scrubber, and pipe 14. The engine is started in the usual manner by turning the shaft, and during the first outward movement of the piston gas is sucked in from the furnace-chamber G through the conduit 6, conduits 9 and 10, and through the scrubber. The valve 4 is in the meantime again opened and air is thus allowed to enter the furnace through 1, L, 2,V, 3, 4, 5. R. The air is thus heated in its passage by means of heat emitted from the hot gases issuing from the furnace, while these latter are simultaneously partially cooled. The air heated and, as will be described hereinafter, mixed with steam now comes in contact with the red-hot fuel in the furnace, whereby Dowson or producer gas is formed, which passes out through the passage 6, conduits 9 10, space 11, grid 12, scrubber, and pipe 14 to the engine in which it'is burned with the production of work. Each time that a charge is drawn into the engine-cylinder a momentarily-partial vacuum is formed in the pipe which leads to the chamber 17 of the water-supply apparatus W, whereby the diaphragm or piston 16 is moved, together with the valve 19, connected thereto, and as a consequence a small quantity of water is allowed to pass out of the reservoir 18 through the pipe Q1 into the generator V. This very small quantity of water is mixed with the already partially-heated air and passes with the latter into the steam-generator V in the form of steam. In its passage through the annular generator and through the conduit 3, valveopening 4, and chamber 5 to the under side of the grate the miXtureof air and steam is further heated. After this the mixture comes in contact with the layer of red-hot fuel in which the gas production takes place and is in a large measure carbon monoxid. The hot gases now pass to the top of the furnace, circulate around the steam generator or heater V, and give up a part of their heat to the latter and to the lower wall of the preliminary air-heater L. On their further passage to the scrubber the hot gases further prevent the cooling of the mixture of heated air and steam which is passing through the neighboring conduit from the heater V to the under side of the grate R, as described above.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim isH 1. In a gas-generator, the combination with the producer; of an air-heater and a surface vaporizer in the upper part of the producer, both located in the path of the producer-gases, said vaporizer and heater in communication with each other and with the producer below the grate thereof, and means to supply air and water to said heater and vaporizer, respectively, substantially as set forth.

2. In a gas-generator, the combination with thev producer; of an air-heater and a surface vaporizer in the upper part of the producer, both located in the path of the producer-gases, said vaporizer and heater in communication with each other and with the producer below the grate thereof, and means to supply air and water to said heater and vaporizer, respectively, in proportion to the gas consumed, substantially as set forth.

3. In a gas-generator, the combination with the producer; of a surface vaporizer, an airhe'ater above the same, both located at the upper end of the producer in the path of the producer-gases, said heater and vaporizer in communlcation with each other and with the producer below the grate thereof, and means to supply air and water to the heater and vaporizer, respectively, in proportion to the gas consumed, substantially as set forth.

4. In a gas-generator, the combination with the producer; of an air-heater and a surface vaporizer located in the upper end of the producer in the path of the producer-gases, said heater and .vaporizer in communication with each other and with the producer below the grate thereof, and means to supply air and water to the heater and vaporizer, respectively, substantially as set forth.

5. In a gas-generator, the combination with the producer, of an air-heater, a vaporizer in communication with said heater and a pipe connecting the heater and vaporizer to the producer below the fuelgrate thereof, said heater, vaporizer and connecting-pipe all eX- posed to the direct action of the producergases, substantially as set forth.

6. In a gas-generator, the combination with a furnace, of a vaporizer and an air-heater, a conduit for both air and steam terminating beneath the furnace, means to cut off the conduit from the furnace, a gas-pipek surrounding i the conduit, means to simultaneously close the gas-pipe and open communication to a chimney and vice versa, and means to supply forced draft to the furnace during the starting of the furnace, substantially as described.

7. In a gas-generator, the combination with a furnace, a surface vaporizer and air-heater; of a scrubber, a gas-supply pipe leading therefrom, means to supply water to the vaporizer and air-heater having a pipe connection to the gas-supply pipe, whereby water is automatically applied to the air-heater and vaporizer IOO IIO

at every diminution of pressure in the gassupply pipe due to the periodic formation therein of a partial vacuum, substantially as described.

8. In a gas-generator, the combination With a furnace, of a surface vaporizer and airlieater, means to conduct air and vapor from them to the furnace, a scrubber, a pipe connecting the furnace and scrubber, a gas-delivery pipe leading from the scrubber, a reservoir connected to the air-heater and vaporizer, a diaphragm-actuated valve in the reservoir and a pipe to connect the reservoir above the diaphragm to the gas-delivery pipe to admit Water to the vaporizer and air-heater at every formation of a partial vacuum in the gas-delivery pipe, substantially as described.

9. In a gas-generator, the combination with a furnace having a grate and a scrubber; of a vaporizer in the upper part thereof, an airheater above the vaporizer, a conduit to conduct air and vapor beneath the grate, a gaspipe surrounding the conduit and connected to the scrubber, a gas-delivery pipe at the upper end of the scrubber, means to direct furnace-gases directJ to a chimney or to the gas-pipe, a valve to close the conduit, a reservoir, means to maintain Water at a level therein, a connection between the reservoir and airheater and vaporizer, a diaphragm-actuated valve to control the exit of Water, and a pipe connecting the reservoir above the diaphragm with the gas-delivery pipe, substantially as described.

10. A gas-producer, a surface vaporizer and an air-chamber therein, said air-chamber in communication with the vaporizer and both air-chamber and vaporizer located in the path of the producer-gases, means to automatically supply Water to the vaporizer in proportion to the consumption of gas, and a Valve-controlled pipe to conduct the mixture of air and vapor beneath the fuel in the producer, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HENRI WEIGL.

Witnesses MORITZ VEITH, A. LEIBERKNECHT. 

